In Dreams
by msmaj
Summary: Plagued by dreams, Joey turns to writing to discover things about her past and future.
1. Chapter 1

**Whilst nostalgia road tripping on re-runs, I have finally decided to post this story, whose beginning has been interred in a notebook since my high school days...which was many many moons ago. Alas, enjoy, and let me know what you think!**

 **Also, I sadly own none of these characters, or Dawson's Creek in any respect.**

 _"I refuse to let you do this! Do you hear me?" I screamed after him. I caught him by the shoulder and turned him to face me. His eyes were downcast, though I could notice the tear streaks on his cheeks, his hands shook as did his voice when he finally spoke._

 _"I must. I do not deserve your favor, nor your affections, my lady." I lifted his chin so that his eyes finally met mine, a small smile across my lips. His eyes were cloudy with grief, tears brimming on the brink of overflow, catching like dew on his long thick lashes._

 _"You cannot think that by leaving all of our feelings will simply disappear. I long for your touch when we are mere metres apart, no great distance will render my love for you obsolete. I will follow you. I will haunt your every footfall. I am your past, your present and future." I all but whispered, his hands had taken mine at some point I could not quite recollect. It was the most natural feeling, simply being together._

 _"Your love for me?" he questioned hesitantly as if it's repetition would invalidate the meaning, though his eyes held the spark of hope my words had planted._

 _"My unwavering, unrelenting, soul-searing love for you." I reiterated, conveying everything I was feeling through my eyes, his responded in kind, and his lips finally found their way to mine. The kiss began chaste, deepening only as the fear of being one finally left us. I could feel his smile against my lips and knew that in this, and any world, is exactly where I wanted to be._

 _"We'll have to leave, Elvie," He whispered against my lips. "Your father will never approve."_

 _"i don't care, Otto. My life here will never be what I want it to be. Not if I don't get to spend it with you."_

 _"My life is only where you are, madame."_

* * *

Joey awoke with a start, for not the first time that week, and shook her head only slightly amused when she noticed the clock said 3:27, again. She looked at her husband, sleeping soundly and snoring slightly, and kissed him on the forehead before sneaking off to her study. Since the dreams started she'd been writing them down, needing to capture the scene from her mind on the page. The feelings evoked were so real, every time she woke she felt as if it were her in those dreams, subconsciously she did feel herself to be the woman. Elvira. It finally clicked, that had been the woman's name. And he was Otto. In the weeks of her fitful slumber, she could never remember the names of anyone from her dream, she could never see their faces after she woke, but the lingering love she felt needed to be addressed. She had been able to fill in the diatribe, to create this story of forbidden love, so real, Joey almost started to believe it. She shook her head again. Coffee, she definitely needed coffee. Tonight so many things were swirling in her head, names, places, backstory hitting her like a whirlwind, to get them out she needed focus, and to focus, she needed copious amounts of coffee.

As if on cue, the smell hit her. Strong, slightly sweet Kona coffee, black, wafting through the air not too far from where she sat. She turned around slowly, glasses on the tip of her nose, biting her bottom lip as she faced her no longer sleeping husband. She had been so engrossed in her writing she never heard him getting up or making her coffee, which was usually at least a five decibel feat, she had only noticed the scent as he walked into the room, strange because Joey prided herself on being at least, reasonably aware of her surroundings. She pondered this a moment longer, when did her nose get so keen?

"Uh, Joey?" He asked, walking over and setting the carafe and mug next to her computer. She snapped to attention, averting her gaze to his striking eyes.

"I was just thinking about how lucky I was? I mean, how many husbands would get up in the middle of the night to bring their slightly neurotic wife, much needed rocket fuel." She said taking the first sip and letting it warm her. He chuckled and leaned in to kiss her.

"As much as I love you, and I do," he punctuated with kisses, "It's seven, you've already been in here, at least a couple of hours." She looked back at her screen and noticed she had written so much more than she had thought, and she had no intention of stopping any time soon. "And I have to go to work." She pouted as they kissed goodbye, her hand snaking through his hair and pulling him in close. He groaned as she pulled away.

"Duty calls." She kissed him again, delving right back into her story. She had this huge surge of creativity, her muses alight calling her back to her work.

"If something were on your mind, you'd tell me, right Jo?" He asked as he got to the door. She smiled and shook her head.

"There are many things on my mind right now, dear husband, but not one of those things need concern you. These are good things on my mind." He smiled as her fingers frantically struck the keys.

"Have a productive day, Mrs. Witter."

"Oh, I intend to. And perhaps, you'll get a preview tonight, Mr. Witter." Pacey inhaled a shaky breath as he turned to walk out the door.

"Woman, the thought of that just might be enough to get me through my day."


	2. Chapter 2

**Getting from A to B in this story is much harder than I thought, which must be why I wrote really random things in my youth and did nothing about connecting them. Just like me to make things harder on myself, albeit completely unintentionally since I never even dreamed of sharing this. With that said, I do not own any of the characters of Dawson's Creek, I am simply using them for a short while.** Pleeaasse **, just, let me know what you think. I'm not too much of a review junkie, but it does help :)**

"Jo. Joey! Josephine!" She bolted upright, though still mostly asleep.

"Wha? This isn't my bed," she mumbled and looked up confused at her husband. "Pacey, why am I not in bed?" She brought her hand to her eyes and warily rubbed the sleep from them. He just chuckled, more guffawed really, and lifted her chin to meet his eyes.

"When was the last time you actually slept?" She rolled her eyes, but sat up more awake when she realized she had fallen asleep at the kitchen table.

"Shit." It was his turn to roll his eyes. "I don't know, I guess it's been…five, six weeks? It's the strangest thing though, I wake up, completely invigorated, inspired, and I write. I write until I fall back asleep and start the whole thing over again. I mean, it wasn't every night…not at first, but lately, it's always in the back of my head." He nodded, knowing that she felt she had to strike while the proverbial iron was hot, and she'd never let this kind of inspiration slip through her fingers, but he was starting to worry. It was not only very uncharacteristic of her to write such sap, but it seemed as if she was really starting to believe that these dreams were much more than that.

"Can you just, do me one, small, favor?" She watched his demeanor, not entirely serious, nor thoroughly aloof either, she could sense his concern through the bravado. She raised her eyebrow in response. "Call Dr. Jameson."

"But-" she started. He waved his hands and leaned back.

"No buts, this has been going on far too long. And while you think that there's nothing wrong, I can assure you, there most certainly is."

"Oh, so there's something wrong with me now?" She challenged.

"Uh uh, I did not say there was anything particularly wrong with YOU, but there is something wrong." She noticed his eyes glance at the floor and then back to hers. "When was the last time you remember us being..."

"Don't get all shy on my now Witter. The last time we what? Fucked?"

"God, Potter, you know those very few moments when you're truly crass turn me on like none other, but not even that. We haven't had one shred of intimacy in nearly two months! Two, Jo! I think the last time we went longer than that without at least minimal groping was before we got back together." She let the information sink in. She couldn't believe it had been that long, they were the couple most people hated being seen with in public. Incessant kissing, hand holding, whispered innuendo...and sometimes, sneaking away from the group because their baser urges couldn't be contained.

"I'm sorry Pace, I didn't realize...I know I have been completely overwhelmed by this story, but I can't help it. I can't even begin to try and rationalize why it's so important to me, it seems so strange, yet so familiar and until it's all down on the page, I don't know..."she trailed off. "I'll call Dr. Jameson right now, see if maybe she can get me back to my regularly scheduled sleepy time, and then maybe we'll get back to our sexy times." She batted her eyes at him. He suppressed a chuckle, rolling his eyes at her.

"You know, it's not that I don't love when you schedule every single second of our days," he got up and crouched down next to her, placing his hand on her cheek. "I just want my wife back." He leaned forward and captured her lips in a searing kiss. She moaned in reply, wrapping her arms around his neck, fingers tracing imaginary trails through his hair. He lifted her as he stood, legs locking firmly around his waist as they continued to assault each other's mouths. His need for her was too much, the contact he had been seeking so long was overwhelming when it came to fruition that instead of taking her to their bedroom, he simply turned around and sat her on the table.

"You know, sometimes, I absolutely love how your mind works, Mr. Witter." Joey practically purred into his ear, her tongue slipping past her teeth, making contact with his overly sensitive earlobe.

"Well then Mrs. Witter, I promise you'll more than love how the rest of me works, too."

A few hours later, the table, living room couch, den recliner and finally, their bed had been reclaimed for all things sexual. Pacey snored softly beside her, the faintest trace of a smile lingering on his lips and she couldn't help the swell in her heart as she studied his profile. Then suddenly she had it, her ending. The irony in her thought process was not lost on her as she shimmed from the bed, careful not to wake her patient, yet sleep deprived husband. She glanced back at him as she reached the door, half her mouth lifting to a soft smile, he was her ending.

"Pace." Beat. "Pace." Snore. "PACEY!" Joey shook her husband awake.

"Ugh, woman, it's…, what time is it?" He rolled over to face her, but didn't open his eyes, or sit up, he was not committed to waking just yet.

"It's time for you to get up and commemorate the completion of your wife's first novel." He opened one eye warily and she wagged her eyebrows in response.

"Done? As in…complete? Or, you're done because you're so very tired of being so distant from your gorgeous husband?" He turned just in time as the pillow connected with the back of his head.

"Done as in story over. Love wins. Happily ever after saves the day once again."

"Who are you and what did you do with my wife?" He said propping himself up on his elbow.

"She's pulling your leg, Pace. While I will say the story has a happier ending than I would have truly liked, there's enough angst and drama to fuel a cheesy teen soap. But I have to admit, it wasn't so bad being an optimist." She paused, and added after a moment. "Or, pretending to be one." He let out a throaty laugh and pulled her into the bed with him.

"Good, I don't know if I could handle you spouting sonnets, equating rainbows and butterflies to reality. You, my dear, are not the romantic in this relationship, sometimes I wonder if you even really like me."

"I sometimes wonder that myself." She said leaning down to kiss him. "So celebrate now, or would you rather go back to sleep?" She asked slipping her hand below the blanket, fingering the elastic waistband of his boxers.

"See, no romance. Pure, unadulterated lust, it's like I'm your damn sex toy." He sighed loudly but made no move to stop her hand from travelling further down his body.

"Shut up Pace."

"Yes ma'am." Their lips met and fanned the ever burning flame that connected the two. Marriage had only managed to bring them closer together, to be more receptive of each other's needs and desires, without ever needing words. They were constantly in tandem, and hopefully, with the completion and near exhaustion of Joey's creative endeavor, their natural rhythm would resume without too much discourse. Of course, this is life, and wavering is necessity.


	3. Chapter 3

**Again, they are not my characters, I am simply borrowing them. This has taken a lot longer than I intended to get fixed, but I should be more steady about it now, just keep letting me know if you like. :)**

Pacey Witter stood at his kitchen sink, wondering how he got to the point in his life where a simple task, one as mundane as doing dishes, was the start to a great day. It probably had something to do with whom he woke up next to. He chuckled to himself. It had been three years since she made her choice. One that came with no ultimatums or ulterior motives, she had chosen him and he still couldn't get off cloud nine. She was still sleeping, her sleeping habits finally starting to return to normal after the completion of her first novel, even her doctor had said that it was more than likely stress that was causing her restlessness, nothing more was suspected. He sighed, audibly, he hadn't particularly cared for the subject matter, the story sounding far too much like soulmates for him. He shuddered involuntarily. The idea of predestined love was one he could never quite wrap his head around, and until he'd read her story, he'd thought the idea had been long from Joey's mind. It wasn't discussed, however, it was just a story. It had come to her in a dream was all she had said, and he left it at that. They had been blissfully happy for years, and he'd be damned if he'd let those pesky insecurities rear their ugly heads once more. They had a tendency to sneak back in just as soon as Pacey found himself truly comfortable, his complacency seemingly riddled with ghosts, whose boisterous echoes would not be quelled. He remembered the first time he felt their icy fingers, twisting around his heart, fogging his mind.

 _"Paaaaccceeyyy." She called. It was the very first night in their new house. The first decidedly adult thing they had done together, almost a year after moving back to Boston, they'd both become fed up with commuting. The weekends and random, intermittent weekdays were not nearly enough, even with continuous text messaging. She started in the den, finding it completely empty save for the monstrous big, screen television he HAD to have. She shook her head and continued through the house looking for her boyfriend, a small smile tugging on her lips at the thought of that word. It was then she noticed the sliding glass door off the kitchen was open, the breeze bringing the cool, spring New England air through the room, full of partially emptied boxes. She crossed to the fridge, grabbing two beers and made her way onto the porch. The patio furniture sat comfortably around, what was earlier a raging bonfire, now dying embers, and he stared mesmerized, a few empty beer bottles at his feet._

 _"Something on your mind, Witter?" She asked, taking a drink from her own beer and coming to stand beside him, her hand finding its way to his back, absentmindedly tracing lazy patterns through his shirt. He looked to her and took the beer from her hand, placing it on the ground before pulling her onto his lap._

 _"I can't seem to shake the feeling that something is going to happen." Joey's brow furrowed at his sentiment. When she went to respond, he continued. "Like, everything, I have ever wanted, literally, is happening and it's just bound to go wrong. It always, always goes…." She kissed him, soundly, forcing his last thought to die on his tongue. She desperately tried to convey what she felt with that kiss, and as she felt his tension dissolve, she thought maybe that would be enough, but his hands that still firmly held her in place were still anxious, and she knew he had overheard her earlier conversation._

' _Well, there's your answer Josephine, time to pay the piper…' she thought and pulled away from him, only far enough to break their kiss._

 _"Pacey, you know I love you, right?" Resting her forehead against his for a moment, she sat up to look him fully in the eyes. He studied her a minute before responding. He sharply inhaled, not knowing what to expect._

 _"Jesus, Jo, if you were planning to break up with me, doing it before we moved all of our earthly possessions into a home we are now both tied to for at least, the next fifteen years, would have probably been a great, fucking idea." He stood abruptly, barely allowing her to catch herself and stand. He picked up the beer and turned back toward the house, the one he couldn't actually bear to take a step toward. She shook her head, drinking down her own beer and steeled herself against his emotions._

 _"Really? After this past year you how could even think I would walk away from you again?" He turned toward her voice, which seemed to be rising despite her desperate attempt to keep her façade of cool. "Remember, I gave up New York, an apartment that I loved, came scrambling back to Boston, with a lesser position at my firm, because I could not physically stand to be that far away from you. Did you think me making all of those midnight trips to Capeside to surprise you would have happened if I had no intentions of staying with you? Do you think that little of how much I want to be with you?"_

 _"Gods, no, Jo. I just…" He stood in front of her and moved to brush an errant hair off her face. She leaned into his touch and he pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. "I heard you on the phone with Dawson." He mumbled, feebly, into her hair. Her eyebrow raised, as the smile reclaimed her lips._

 _"What exactly did you hear?" She asked quietly, her face still buried in his chest._

 _"I heard you tell him how much you wished he was here." She nearly snorted. It was getting more difficult to keep her chortles to herself._

 _"Well, you can hardly blame me for that. I mean, we needed all hands on deck today! Who knew we acquired so much crap in the past five years?" She pulled away and noticed the flash of recognition pass through his eyes._

 _"So you only wanted him here to help with the move? That doesn't explain what else you said." His arms were still wrapped firmly around her waist and she made no move to break away from his hold._

 _"What else is it that you think you heard?" Joey's eyebrow cocked, she challenged him to recall what it was that was truly bothering him so much._

 _"I heard you say, that you weren't sure it was the right time, that maybe we were rushing and that you should have thought about it more." She shook her head as he repeated the words she had spoken to Dawson earlier, the resignation apparent in his voice._

 _"I did say those words. To Dawson. And Jack. And Doug. And Bessie. And I probably even whispered something along those lines up to Jen today, too. But I promise you one thing. It had nothing to do with buying this house, or moving in with you." She replied honestly. It was his turn for confusion, his brows knitting as he took in her words._

 _"So, what exactly are you saying Potter?" He all but whispered. She stepped out of his embrace, and turned away from him, fumbling something out of her pocket. She straightened herself out and took a deep breath before turning back to face him._

 _"Now, I'm sure how to address this. We've talked this issue until we've been blue in the face, Pacey, but it always seems to find its way back in. I. Do. No. Want. Dawson. He's my brother, for all intents and purposes. I have no romantic feelings for him, and have not, for many, many, many years. Before I go on I need you to promise me something. Talk to me, no matter what, anytime you feel like I don't put you and your feelings first. Anytime you think that you are not the most important thing in my life, tell me. I mean, if this marriage is going to work, I need to know you're going to give it you're all, because I can leave now….if that's what you really want, I'm already packed." His once downcast eyes met hers as he took in everything she had said. The storm that had been raging behind his cool, blue eyes began to swell as it finally dawned on him._

 _"This marriage?" She smiled and stepped back into his personal space, invading every inch of his sanity with her presence, holding something silver in her hands._

 _"I've never been any good with timing. Which is why everyone got asked a certain set of questions today, and not one of those people had any legitimate input, they were just a sounding board, I just needed to reassure myself that this is, in fact, our time." She kneeled down in front of her, opening the face of the pocket watch to him. "Pacey J. Witter, will you do me the honor of allowing me, to become your wife?" He reached down and grabbed her, kissing her as he twirled her through the air with ease. When her feet finally reconnected with the ground, she pulled away, and presented the watch again. A small sailboat graced the front, 'True Love' scrawled across the stern. Engraved inside were his second favorite three words of the English language, 'Ten my love…' and he could no longer hold back the tears._

 _"Oh Joey, I, I, I think for the first time in my life I am at a loss for words." He chuckled. He took her hands in his, closing the watch and pulling her into his crushing embrace._

 _"There's only one word I really want to hear right now, Witter." She whispered. He smiled against her hair._

 _"Yes," he whispered. And reclaimed her lips with his. It was the start of the rest of their lives, and they were finally, on the exact same page._

"You seem to be on a distant planet, my love." Joey said as she entered the kitchen. Mondays were her favorite. Neither she nor Pacey worked, they would mostly catch up on housework in the morning and do anything they pleased in the afternoons, which usually included ample love making. Pouring a cup of coffee she stood beside him at the sink as he finished up the dishes.

"I was just thinking about when we moved in."

"Ah, when you tried to kick me out before we had really had any fun." He laughed.

"I would have never let you leave. You've been stuck with me a mighty long time, Potter, even if you hadn't known it at the time." He kissed her cheek and went to get himself some coffee.

"So what exactly was the cause of your sunrise rumination? Still wishing you could have proposed first, because, like I say allllll the time Mr. Witter, that was one point I needed to get in my column." He smiled as he took a sip of the hot, dark liquid, but that strange feeling snuck back into his mind before he could catch it. "Pace, what is it? What's on your mind?' He shook his head foolishly.

"Honestly babe, it's silly." He tried to brush it off, but the look on her face meant she simply wasn't going to let this go. He exhaled, and inhaled again slowly, trying to find the words. "Your book. Do you think, I don't know…" he started pacing. "That maybe you wrote about these people, who are more than likely soulmates, because, you know what it's like having one?" Her jaw dropped slightly, and her eyes darted to find his. She couldn't help but be a little hurt, but she supposed she never did explain her current feelings on the subject matter.

"Well, Pacey, I do believe that maybe I had a greater insight into the idea of soulmates because I thought I had found mine, but, the more I wrote, the less I knew what a soulmate really was." She sat down at the table, gesturing for him to follow. "When the dreams started they were flashes, but the emotions were so strong, I had to write about it. And when these characters began to develop, I felt that I really knew them, probably because they're a lot of you and me. And while I didn't see that at first, the night I finished the story I knew exactly what needed to be said and done, because it already had been." She reached across the table and took his hand in hers, lacing her fingers between his. "Pacey, you are my soulmate. Those dreams, while they weren't actually you and me, his eyes were yours. I could see your soul, I could feel your love and I knew, in that moment, you were my true soul mate. That through time, lives, no matter what…it always has been, and always will be, you and me." He wasn't sure he could have loved her any more than he already did, but in that moment, he was certain his heart would burst. He leaned forward, kissing her more passionately than he originally intended, but knew he had to show her exactly what those word meant to him. His hand made its way into her hair, pulling her in even closer as her hands wound around the back of his head. He was about to take her on the table when her cell phone rang. They groaned in unison as she pulled away and checked the caller id.

"It's Dr. Jameson's office, I should get it." She walked out of the room as Pacey shifted uncomfortably in his seat. His coffee forgotten, now lukewarm and unappealing, he got up to dump it down the drain, the movement easing his straining erection. He couldn't believe how quickly he could go from being unsure about his life back to, head over heels, intangibly in love. He might need therapy he mused, smiling to himself, back to staring out the picture window above the sink, turning when he noticed her reflection as she came back into the kitchen.

"Everything okay?" He turned back to face her, her hands nervously twisting in front of her. "Jo, what did the doc say?" He was in front of her now, hands on either arm, looking intently into her eyes, unable to read what was going on in that busy mind of hers. Her lip, unconsciously pulled between her teeth, was turning red from how hard she chewed it, though a smile was starting to form.

"Pace," she whispered. "We're gonna have a baby."


End file.
